Violin bow



J. HEDDON Aug. 19, 1941.

VIOLIN BOW Filed March 6, 1940 Patented Aug. 19, 1941 VIOLIN BOW John Heddon, Dowagiac, Mich., assignor to James Heddons Sons, Dowagiac, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application March 6, 1940, Serial No. 322,581

6 Claims.

My present invention is concerned with certain improvements in a bow for musical instruments, A violin bow is one example, and the exemplification hereinafter described as a violin bow should be understood as applicable to bows for various other string instruments, such as the cello, viol, etc.

In the construction of the present how, I utilize a staff of tapered tubular steel having walls whose thickness is decreased progressively toward the tip end. Such a stafi may be produced economically, dependably, and with uniformity by known processes in the forming of tapered tubes. When completed, the stall lends itself to finishing in any desired Way, as by plating or by graining to imitate-a wooden staff from which it is ordinarily indistinguishable.

Among the important objects achieved by my invention are the forming of a staff, by production methods, which is always uniform as to weight, balance, tension, and contour; a staff which may be endowed, through heat-treating, with strength and resiliency to an extent beyond anything which is ordinarily attainable with staffs as heretofore produced; and a staff to which may be imparted a normal curvature from end to end, or throughout a. major portion of its length, so that, when the supported hairs are tensioned, the staff w ll substantially straighten out in conformity with the behavior of the best bows now available. My invention is concerned also with other details of construction such as certain improved features by which to facilitate adjustability of the frog lengthwise of the staff and the assembly of its operating parts in place. These, and other objects as will herein-after ap pear, may be realized by a construction as set forth in the accompanying drawing Wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the bow in its entirety;

Fig. 2, which is a similar View, shows the completed stafi per se;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged. fragmentary. longitudisection through the large end of the staff showing the frog assembled therewith. the operating parts therefor;

Fig. 4. is a similar View showing one form of tip applied to the small end of the staff;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on line 5 B of Fig, 3; and

Fig. 6. which is a view similar to Fig. l. shows a modification in the attaching means for the tip.

The stall S, which may be advantageously produced by appropriate steel-working processes is formed as a tube which is unitary and tapered exteriorly for most, if not all, of its length, the larger end f being adapted for the fitting thereupon of a suitable frog F. Applied to the smaller end t is a tip T of appropriate form. The crosssectional form of the staff may be uniform throughout substantially its entire length. While circularity is preferred, it is desirable that this cross section be changed to polygonal in the region of the frog to facilitate its assembly and operation thereupon.

A staff having these characteristics may still lack the requisite lightness of weight, balance, and tension to be entirely acceptable for a violin bow. To obviate any such deficlences the walls of the present staff may be of varying thickness so that, starting at the larger end where the thickness need not be more than .013", there is a gradual diminution toward the smaller end to .009", or less, By this distribution of the mass of metal a most desirable balance is achieved, the Weight of the stafi per se being about one ounce, and, with fittings, approximately two ounces. This variation in wall thickness may be readily visualized by reference to Fig. 3 where the staff walls in the region of its larger end are considerably greater in thickness than at the smaller end of which sectional views are presented in Figs. 4 and 6.

After forming a stall having these characteristics, a polygonal contour is imparted throughout a short region, perhaps three or four inches, at the frog end (see Fig. 2), this operation being performed in any approved way, as by the use of clamping dies. The stafi is then subjected to a heat treatment whereby it is endowed with a desired strength and resiliency to adapt it for tensioning the usual hairs H with which a musical instrument bow is equipped. At, or subsequent to, the time of this heat treatment, the staff is also bent longitudinally to provide a normal curvature extending throughout at least a major portion of its length. Although this ourvature remains as a permanent condition, the is free to yield, as required, for supporting hairs under tension in the customary manner. Because of the material used, 1. e. steel, and the treatment to which it is subjected, i. e. heat, also the special characteristics of its contour and varying wall thicknesses, the resulting bow is endowed with all the desirable qualities of lightness in weight, balance for use, and strength and resiliency for maintenance of the hairs under tension over a prolonged period of time. The strength of the staff is such as to resist successfully any tendency to deviate from a plane which is transverse to the plane in which it is normally curved.

Referring now to Fig. 3, I have shown a plug Ill fitted into the large end of the staff to the point of the plug head I l engaging with the staff end whereby its final position is determined. This plug is secured friotionally or otherwise in a fixed position within the staff. The plug, which is of elongated form, is provided centrally with an elongated slot l 2 which opens out along one side of the plug in register with a slot l4 that is extended through the wall of the staff. An axial passageway I5 is formed through the plug to receive a stem I6 whose central portion I1 is formed with screw threads, extending for the full length of the plug slot l2. This stem is journaled for rotation within the bearings at opposite ends of the plug, and extends outwardly for connection with an operating head I8 by which the stem may be manually rotated.

When the stem is first assembled within the plug it is threaded through a collar from which is laterally extended a stud 2! formed with screw threads by which it may interlock within a threaded socket formed in the frog. This frog is formed with a, concave polygonal surface adapted to ride along the polygonal surface of the staff, its movements being effected by rotatlon of the stem in response to operation of the head. The engaging surfaces of the frog and the staff are such that only a relative lengthwise movement therebetween may take place. This is due to the stud adjustment relative to the frog such that the collar 20 is disposed at a fixed distance therefrom, and to the assembly through the collar of the stem l6 which is mounted for rotation within fixed bearings at opposite ends of the plug. In accordance with usual practice the frog is provided with suitable means for anchoring one end of the hairs that are to form one part 01' the bow, a finishing plate being affixed thereover, as suggested in Fig. 3.

The frog, of which a preferred construction has just been described, may be made of wood, plastic, metal, or other suitable material. The same is true of the tip which is fitted to the small end of the staff. As shown in Fig. 4 the tip may be formed with a stem adapted to be entered into the small end of the staff wherein it is closely fitted and secured in any appropriate manner. In the construction of Fig. 6 the stem 3| is of slightly reduced diameter, to receive therearound a metallic sleeve 32, of brass or other appropriate material, this sleeve being embedded within the tip which is desirably made of plastic material in any of the usual approved methods. A metalto-metal contact results from the construction of Fig. 6, permitting the use of solder or other equivalent material for establishing a fixed and permanent connection between the tip and the staff. Within the tip is formed the usual anchorage for holding the proximate hair ends.

With the fittings in place and the hairs strung therebetween, the frog may be adjusted to place the hairs under tension with the staff yielding so as to change its lengthwise form from its natural curved state to one which more nearly approaches the straight, but without any deflection of the shaft from a plane which is transverse to that in which it is normally curved. The flexibility of my staff exceeds that which characterizes all other staffs with which I am familiar, as does also its strength and tension. When not in use, his tension on the hairs may still be retained without liability of the staff tension becoming exhausted. A violin bow having a staff of steel, as herein described, is considered by many to produce a better tone, probably for the reason that the vibrations which are set up in the hairs are transmitted to the staff, and the steel tubing being responsive, it feeds the vibrations back faster and easier. In consequence, such a staff is more lively than if made of wood or of other material which is relatively inert. The thinness of the steel walls apparently contributes to the responsiveness of such vibrations, and ordinary playing tones are improved, particularly those in the higher range which are the most difficult to obtain.

I claim:

1. In a violin how a staff in the form of a tube, a plug adapted to be fitted within the staff at one end thereof, means extended outwardly from the plug affording a stop by which to limit the distance of the plug entry within the staff, the plug being formed intermediately of its length with an elongated slot open on one side thereof, and the walls of the staff being formed with a complementary slot adapted to register with the slot of the plug when the latter is fitted within the staff, the plug being provided with an axial passageway extended for substantially the length thereof and interrupted by the slot therein, a stem extended through the axial passageway of the plug and rotatably supported therein at opposite ends thereof, the portion of the stem transversing the slot being formed with screw threads, a collar having screw threads adapted to cooperate with those on the stem and disposed within the slot of the plug adapted to be shifted lengthwise thereof in response to rotation of the stem, a stud extended laterally from the collar through the slots of the plug and of the staff to a point exteriorly of the latter, and a frog slidably mounted upon the exterior of the staff adapted to occupy shifting positions in all of which the staff slot is covered by the frog, and means adjustably connecting the threaded stud to the frog whereby the latter is supported slidably upon the staff, the frog being shiftable lengthwise of the staff in response to rotation of the stem.

2. In a violin bow a staff in the form of a tube, a plug adapted to be fitted within the staff at one end thereof, the plug being formed intermediately of its length with an elongated slot open on one side thereof, and the walls of the staff being formed with a complementary slot adapted to register with the slot of the plug when the latter is fitted within the staff, the plug being provided with an passageway extended for substantially the length thereof and interrupted by the slot therein, a stem extended through the axial passageway of the plug and rotatably supported therein at opposite ends thereof, the portion of the stem transversing the slot being formed with screw threads, a collar having screw threads adapted to cooperate with those on the stem and disposed within the slot of the plug adapted to be shifted lengthwise thereof in response to rotation of the stem, a stud extended laterally from the collar through the slots of the plug and of the staff to a point exteriorly of the latter, and a frog slidably mounted upon the exterior of the staff adapted to occupy shifting positions thereupon, and means conn cting the stud to the frog whereby the latter is supported slidably upon the staff, the frog being shiftable lengthwise of the staff in response to rotation of the stem.

3. In a musical instrument bow, a staff in the form of a tube, a plug fitted within the staff at one end thereof and formed intermediately of its length with an elongated slot open on one side thereof, and the walls of the staff being formed with a complementary slot adapted to register with the slot of the plug when the latter is fitted within the staff, the plug being provided with an axial passageway extending for substantially the length thereof and interrupted by the slot therein, means for holding the plug against movement inwardly of the staff beyond a predetermined position, a stem extended through the axial passageway of the plug and rotatably supported therein at opposite ends thereof, the portion of the stem traversing the slot being formed with screw threads, a collar having screw threads adapted to cooperate with those on the stem and disposed within the slot of the plug adapted to be shifted lengthwise thereof in response to rotation of the stem, a stud extending laterally from the collar through the slots of the plug and the staff to a point exteriorly of the latter, a frog slidably mounted upon the exterior of the staff adapted to occupy shifting positions thereon, and means connecting the stud to the frog whereby the latter is supported slidably upon the staff, the frog being shiftable lengthwise of the staff in response to rotation of the stem.

4. In a violin bow, a seamless tubular unitary resilient staff of tempered steel normally curved from end to end, the staff being tapered exteriorly from a larger diameter at the one end toward a smaller diameter at the other end, the thickness of the walls of the staff being reduced progressively toward its smaller end, a tip secured to the smaller end of the staff, and a frog secured adjustably to the larger end of the staff and both the tip and frog projecting in the direction of the longitudinal convexity of the staff, means for adjusting the frog lengthwise of the staff, and a plurality of hairs secured to and extending between the tip and frog under tension along the staff proximate to the convex curve lengthwise thereof and. adapted with increase in tension to exert a force tending to straighten the staff.

5. In a violin how, a seamless tubular unitary resilient staff of tempered steel normally curved from end to end, the staff being tapered exteriorly from a larger diameter at one end to a smaller diameter at the other end, the thickness of the walls of the staff at the larger end being not to exceed .013 inch and being reduced progressively toward its opposite end to a thickness of not to exceed .009 inch, a tip fixedly secured to the smaller end of the staff, and a frog adjustably secured to the larger end of the staff and both the tip and frog projecting in the direction of the longitudinal convexity of the staff, means for adjusting the frog lengthwise of the staff, and a plurality of hairs secured to and extending between the tip and frog under tension along the staff proximate to the convex curve lengthwise thereof and adapted with increase in tension to exert a force tending to straighten the staff.

6. In a violin bow, a seamless tubular unitary resilient staff of tempered steel normally curved from end to end, the staff being tapered exteriorly from a larger diameter at one end to a smaller diameter at the other end, the thickness of the walls of the staff at the larger end being not to exceed .012 inch, a tip fixedly secured to the smaller end of the staff, and a frog adjustably secured to the larger end of the staff and both the tip and frog projecting in the direction of the longitudinal convexity of the staff, means for adjusting the frog lengthwise of the staff, and a plurality of hairs secured to and extending between the tip and frog under tension along the staff proximate to the convex curve lengthwise thereof and adapted with increase in tension to exert a force tending to straighten the staff.

JOHN HEDDON. 

